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Nevada Trail Ride - Southern Nevada Wheeling

During the month of November each year, the Vegas Valley 4-Wheelers host their annual Hump N Bump Trail Ride to benefit the Southern Nevada Trail Fund. The event takes place at the Logandale Trails System in Logandale, Nevada, which is about 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas and situated near Lake Mead National recreation Area and Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. "What's a Hump N Bump?" You may ask. With the events' proximity to Las Vegas, some tend to get the wrong idea, but the VV4W's Hump N Bump truly is a family-fun event. The name comes from the loping "Hump and Bump" effort a short-wheelbase 4x4 exerts as it traverses a rocky, whooped desert trail.

The Logandale Trails System offers gorgeous red rock formations, sandstone cliffs, and multiple sand dunes and desert washes. It's a public trail system that's open to all motorized and nonmotorized outdoor enthusiast and activities, including ATVs, dirt bikes, hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrian. The Trail System, which borders the Valley of Fire State Park and the towns of Logandale and Overton, Nevada, was established by the BLM in a cooperative effort coordinated by the Nevada Trails Coalition, with support from organized recreational groups and county, state, federal, and local agencies.

The main entrance to the trails is in Logandale at Liston Avenue off NV-169/North Moapa Valley Boulevard. Liston leads to North Pioneer Road and then turns into Logandale Trails Road. This continues as a gravel/dirt road into the trail system and designated camping areas. Native American petroglyphs can be seen on many rock faces, and the area is rich with plant life, including creosote brush, blackbrush scrub, barrel cactus, and Teddy bear cholla. Red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, ospreys, and turkey vultures can often be sighted in the sky, and greater roadrunners can be spotted dashing across the open plains. The desert tortoise, Gila monster, chuckwalla lizard, and sidewinder rattlesnake are also native to the area, and desert big-horn sheep are often seen moving about the rocks and desert floor.

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During our visit to the area for 27th annual Hump N Bump, we tackled the Bowl Trail, a 3-plus rated trial with a handful of challenging obstacles mixed in. The S-turn and the tristepped waterfalls toward the end of the trail are by far the most challenging obstacles, though bypass trail are available for those wanting to avoid body damage or other trail carnage. Aside from these obstacles, the Bowl Trail was mostly was mostly scenic in nature with many possible side hikes to reach higher ground and extend the view. One section of the Bowl Trail also leads to another popular trail called the Matterhorn. When the wind blew just right, we could hear engines revving high as they'd power up steep rock faces in the distance.

For those looking to attend the next Hump N Bump event, information can be found at the Vegas Valley 4-Wheeler website (www.vv4w.org). Additionally, the Logandale Trails System is open year-round for those up to exploring on their own, but make sure you bring plenty of water, pack out your trash, and notify someone about your plans of travel. Many of the trails are guided with markers along the route, with GPS locations printed on the backside of the markers, so navigating around can be made easier using a GPS unit. Maps of the area and additional information are available through the BLM's Las Vegas Field Office (4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130, (702) 515-5000).